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I swim and stop, listening. All I hear is the snap of shrimp and other creatures. Somewhere in the distance is a song, but it’s the song of a gray whale, not of a Syren.

I start swimming again, hoping to see something, anything. I go to where the kelp forest is and while I see friendly seals and octopus, they don’t seem to know what I’m talking about when I mention Limonos. I swim to the coral gardens and that too is home to schools of fish and the occasional sea turtle passing through. Finally, I swim over to the arches where my father used to reside on his throne, shafts of sunlight coming through the rock formations and lighting up the empty spot.

Because it is empty.

My father is gone.

Every Syren is gone.

There’s only me.

Asherah and Edonia told you it would be this way, I think to myself. I knew that, deep down, I just wanted Asherah to be wrong and I wanted Edonia to be lying.

I exhale, my heart feeling waterlogged, and rest my tail on patch of pink sea anemone, trying to think. I glance up at the surface, at the dark shape of theNightwindas it waits for me.

That’s where I belong now anyway and I know it. Up there with Ramsay. I didn’t even think I’d find much down here, I just wanted to say my goodbyes if there were anyone to say them to.

But all the Syrens have left. My family is gone. And the family I do have is up there on theNightwind, waiting for me.

I look around once more and then start swimming up toward the ship.

I see movement from the shadows out of the corner of my eye and I stop swimming, my heart leaping in my throat as I turn to face whatever it is, hoping it’s a Syren.

But it’s not. It’s a shark, heading straight to me.

I put my hands out as a way to warn the creature.

But it’s not stopping.

It’s coming faster and faster and it’s almost upon me when I recognize the white tipped fins and the bronze-gray body of Nill.

No. It can’t be.

But it is.

“Nill!” I exclaim, exploding with joy.

The shark comes right up to me, practically running me over, and I throw my arms around his body, holding onto him tight. “Nill, Nill, it’s me.”

I know it’s you, Nill says.I have been waiting for you all this time.

I’m crying now, tears disappearing into the sea. “I’m so sorry,” I sob, so many emotions running through me. “I’m sorry that I never came back for you. I couldn’t.”

I know, the shark says.But I had to wait for you, even when the last Syren left.

I pull back and look into his black eyes, seeing my reflection in them. “You must have been so terribly lonely here.”

I had faith that you would return, he says simply.

I look around at the emptiness around us. There’s plenty of sea life here, perhaps even more than there was when the kingdom was inhabited. Maybe us Syrens did more damage to the local population of sea creatures than we thought. We were their biggest predators, after all.

“Are you happy here?” I ask him. “It feels so strange.”

At times, he answers.But I can find happiness anywhere.

“You know, I have a new home now.” I point up at theNightwind. “It’s on that ship. I know this sounds far-fetched but we journey across the oceans with magic wind in our sails. Would you like to come with us?”

Nill’s lower eyelid blinks.I am your sworn protector, Princess Maren. I made a grave mistake by leaving you the last time. I will never be leaving you again.